It is known to make machines for washing objects, generally contained in containers, such as object-holding racks, which are fed inside a suitable washing chamber by means of feed means, for example a belt, where the washing cycle is carried out.
Normally, at least one door is provided, associated with an entrance aperture which is mobile vertically and is driven by an opening and closing mechanism to assume a high or open position in which it allows the objects to be washed to enter into the washing chamber, and a low or closed position in which, in cooperation with fluidic sealing means, it seals the washing chamber from the outside. In pass-through washing machines, a door is also provided associated with an exit aperture, in the position opposite the entrance aperture.
Tunnel-type washing machines are also known, which are provided with a plurality of distinct processing chambers, disposed in succession to each other and inside which one or more steps of the desired washing procedures are carried out.
These known washing machines are defined by the juxtaposition of two or more independent processing chambers that consist of physically autonomous units put adjacent to each other, or two or more washing machines with a single chamber located in succession.
Each processing chamber of known tunnel-type machines is configured to be fluidically sealed during use, both with regard to the outside environment and also with regard to the contiguous processing chamber or chambers.
Furthermore, the processing chambers of known tunnel-type machines are each provided with an entrance door and a possible exit door that put contiguous chambers in communication with each other and allow to transfer the objects from one chamber to the other in order to carry out successive washing operations.
Consequently, in known tunnel-type machines there are generally two doors present in the intermediate communication zones between two contiguous processing chambers, in particular an exit door of one processing chamber and an entrance door of the successive processing chamber.
Control and command devices can be connected to the opening and closing mechanisms of the doors of the processing chambers, which are configured to manage the opening and closing of the doors, for example in terms of timing or possible synchronization of said operations.
The doors are configured to obtain the fluidic seal mentioned above, normally in association with fluidic seal means disposed peripherally around the doors and/or the apertures that they have to seal. In particular, to obtain said fluidic seal, known washing machines are provided with devices, either active or passive, associated with the fluidic seal means and/or the doors, that determine a reciprocal thrust of the doors and the fluidic seal means. The thrust is generally used to deform the fluidic seal means and consequently to obtain the perfect seal of the apertures by the corresponding doors.
One disadvantage of known washing machines is that in order to seal the processing chambers, both reciprocally and from the outside, they require a large number of components, i.e. doors, opening and closing mechanisms, thrust devices, control and command devices, fluidic seal means, possible devices to control the seal. This large number of components leads to constructional and management complexity of said known washing machines, and also to high production and maintenance costs, which affect the costs of the washing process.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,479 describes a drying or heat processing apparatus provided with a central processing chamber, a loading chamber upstream and an unloading chamber downstream, the latter two being provided with closing doors at entrance and exit with sealing elements.
Document EP-A-0.992.246 describes a sterilization tunnel for pharmaceutical containers provided with an entrance zone, a sterilization zone, a cooling zone, a transport belt and intermediate walls to separate the various zones.
Document WO-A-03/047637 describes a sterilization tunnel for pharmaceutical containers provided with an entrance zone, a sterilization zone, two cooling zones, a transport belt and closing elements between the various zones.
Document WO-A-02/051450 describes a system for the continuous sterilization of bottles formed by contiguous modules, including an entrance module with a laminar flow of air, a sterilization module with a laminar flow of hot air and a cooling module with a laminar flow of cooling air.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,408 describes a cooking and cooling system provided with an entrance section, a cooking chamber and an exit and cooling section. Between the entrance section and the cooking chamber a vertically mobile door is provided that can be closed in a sealed manner.
Document EP-A-0.312.022 describes a device for sterilizing glass bottles provided with laminar flow units.
Document DE-A-3321195 describes a device for sterilizing glass containers.
Document WO-A-2009/092518 describes a device for drying objects, in particular the painted bodies of vehicles, provided with a drying tunnel.
Document WO-A-2006/073909 describes a tunnel for sterilizing foodstuffs in pre-packed containers.
Purpose of the present invention is to obtain a washing machine, such as a tunnel-type washing machine provided with a plurality of processing chambers in series, which allows to wash objects effectively, guaranteeing the fluidic seal of the respective processing chambers both reciprocally and with respect to the outside, and which at the same time allows to reduce overall costs, understood in terms of production, transport and bulk, as well as in terms of maintenance and washing.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.